The Great Thaw Out
by SubconsciousSpeaker44
Summary: Jelsa fanfic (Jack Frost x Elsa). Set one year after the events of "Frozen," Elsa admits to herself that she might be a little lonely. Enter a certain mysterious stranger with similar powers, sent back in time by his fellow guardians for a mission. Rated M for possible sexy antics in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

A calm summer night was falling over Arendelle, gently turning the sky black and sending sleepy townspeople to their waiting beds.  
The last of the ships in the bay glided languidly to the harbour, where their sailors tied them up securely before trudging home.  
Children were called in from playing in the streets, gardens and fields, just as their older teenage siblings began to plan how they would sneak out a little later that night.  
The sun slid comfortably under a sheet of and then it was gone, replaced by a softly glowing moon.  
Queen Elsa stood by her bedroom window, watching lanterns flicker on and then off all over her sleepy kingdom. She smiled, proud of the settlement she ruled over. It was a good place, a happy place, with the sadness of the previous year long forgiven and forgotten.

Suddenly, there came a knock on the door. Elsa turned around, abruptly ripped from her daydream.  
"Yes?"  
"Hey, open up, it's me!"  
"Come in Anna!"  
The door creaked open and Elsa's younger sister peeked in, instantly scanning the room for the queen. When she spotted her over by the window, she grinned impishly.  
"Hey, eh, might be a little bit of an odd request but can I sleep in here tonight? With Kristoff gone on that big delivery to Briethy, I guess I'm feeling a little – I don't know – I guess you could say-"  
"Lonely?" Elsa smiled and cocked a knowing eyebrow.  
Anna shrugged and grinned sheepishly.  
"A bit, I mean...I'm just used to having him there, y'know? It'll be _weird_ not having someone sleeping next to me!"  
"No problem, you can sleep in here," Elsa agreed, instinctively moving towards the bed and adjusting the covers. "Heaven knows a king-size bed has plenty of room for-"  
"Oh my gosh, great!" Anna clapped her hands together excitedly, jumping up and down in place. "It'll be just like a _slumber party_! Ooh, do you think they'll make some special dessert thingies down in the kitchen for us?" – and before Elsa could reply - "I'll go ask! Oh, this is going to be so much _fun_!"  
Elsa watched her sister scamper off (nearly slipping on the polished glass and falling) and smiled to herself. The sun was setting all over Arendelle but the one thing it would never set on was Anna's natural enthusiasm.

A few hours later, the two royals were sitting cross-legged on the covers of Elsa's bed, in their pyjamas and playing a board game.  
It was a mild night so Elsa had left the window open to invite a breeze in.  
Anna picked her glass of water up from the bedside table and took a sip.  
"Urgh, it's gone warm!" she waved it gently in front of her older sister's face. "Elsa? Would you mind?"  
Elsa sighed amusedly and rolled her eyes.  
"What am I, a barmaid? OK," she waved her hand and the drink became cool again.  
"Thanks sis!"  
Elsa smiled at the girl beside her and then glanced out the window, suddenly thinking of Kristoff.  
"What's it like for you with him being gone?" she found herself asking.  
Anna glanced up at her sister, a questioning look etched on her face.  
"Sorry, intrusive question, forget I asked!" Elsa said, waving her hand dismissively.  
"No, it's alright!" Anna responded quickly. "I was just caught off guard really. Eh, let me think..."  
She swirled the liquid in the glass around absent-mindedly, staring straight ahead and obviously trying hard to scan her own emotions.  
"Em...it's kind of like I'm gone too. Like part of me went with him or something, y'know? I don't know, that probably sounds super cheesy, but I don't feel like I'm totally...here. When I'm in my room, it doesn't feel right without Kristoff being there too. Which is why I asked to sleep in here with you. It's not like me and him would ever be in _your_ room together! So in answer to your question, I feel a little bit...incomplete I guess?"  
Elsa stared at her sister, lost for words. After a second, Anna let out a little laugh and looked down at the drink in her hands again.  
"Maybe that sounds stupid..."  
"No, it doesn't," Elsa countered immediately. "It doesn't sound stupid at all."  
Anna smiled gratefully at the queen.  
"Thanks. And hey, it means we get to spend some quality one-on-one time together, right?"  
Elsa nodded, moved by her sister's sentiment.  
"Right!"  
"Awesome!" Anna returned her attention to their board game. "Your turn!"

Much later, the two girls got tired and decided to call it a night. The air also got colder so Elsa crossed the room to close the window.  
As she returned to the bed and slipped underneath the covers, Anna reached out for her, wrapped her arms around the older girl's waist and rested a drowsy head against her shoulder.  
"Goodnight Elsa," she yawned.  
Elsa relaxed her arm around her little sister's shoulders.  
"Goodnight Anna, sleep well."  
And she did. In a matter of minutes, Anna was fast asleep, snoring very lightly.  
The queen, however, found it harder to find such easy rest.

She stared up at the ceiling above her, musing on Anna's words from before.  
_I feel a little bit...incomplete I guess.  
_That fascinated Elsa. The fact that someone could make you feel fuller, more whole, more yourself. She wondered what it must be like for Anna whenever she looked at Kristoff or vice versa.  
_It must be like looking at the very _cause_ of your happiness_, she thought.  
And that must be wonderful. _Beyond_ wonderful.  
Although together for nearly twelve months now, Elsa was still always greatly interested by their relationship. Sometimes it seemed like they fell deeper in love with each other every single day. Anyone who looked at them could see it. They were so happy together, so compatible as friends and so utterly perfect for each other as partners.  
_It's kind of like I'm gone too. Like part of me went with him or something, y'know?  
_But she didn't know. She had never known what it was like to have somebody who loved you so deeply and devotedly.  
Well, she had Anna. And Kristoff, Olaf and Sven were all quickly becoming part of the family too. She had _lots_ of friends now that the castle doors were open to the public.  
But that was a different type of love. Strong and constant, loyal and reliable, but nothing romantic. Nothing amorous or intense.  
Elsa looked down at Anna sleeping contentedly beside her.  
She was so happy for her that she'd found love with Kristoff. So totally delighted that her sister was with such a kind, caring and hard-working soul.  
But a little part of her ached when she saw them.  
She wanted what they had...someone to be devoted to her and look after her. Someone she could connect with on every possible level. Someone she could laugh with _and _talk seriously to. Someone she could trust and depend on. Someone she could love and be loved by. Someone.  
Elsa admitted to herself that night in the dark what she'd been feeling for a long while...she was lonely.  
Just then, Anna stirred in her sleep, muttering something about chocolate cake, and then fell back to a restful slumber.  
The queen stifled a laugh and turned over on her side to comfortably cradle her younger sister. At least she had this love, this fond, sisterly love.  
She hugged Anna a little more tightly, rested her own head on the other girl's soft red hair and fell asleep.  
In her dreams that night, she saw a young man with frosty white hair pressed up against the window, peering in.  
And by the time she and Anna woke up the next morning, the icy tracks his hands had left on the window were gone.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack pulled the light travelling cloak tighter around his shoulders, nearly tripping over the ends of it as he did so. He stumbled and then regained his balance.  
"Damn," he muttered.  
Since when did it become so hard to move around in trailing clothes? He did it all the time back when he was human!  
He kept walking, ignoring the few curious stares he was getting from onlookers in the busy Arendelle city square. He briefly wondered if it was because of his white hair that looked so out of place on a boy who was biologically eighteen years old. Or if people were curious as to why such a young person was carrying a staff. Or if he just looked like an idiot stumbling around town in garments he _should _be used to.  
Either way, he kept going, and turned to quickly dodge down a side street.  
He had a mission after all, he had been sent here to 1845 for a reason. Moving further down the narrow alleyway, he noticed how isolated this little part of the kingdom was.  
No one was in sight, and even the rooftops above him arched in such a way to block out the sun. Feeling a little nervous, he took a small crumpled piece of paper out of one of the many pockets in the cloak.  
_The Secretum,  
77 Oldware Street,  
Arendelle.  
_Jack peered up the darkened cul de sac and saw what he was looking for at the far end of the narrow lane. A small, gloomy shop was sandwiched between two larger buildings, both boarded up and long forgotten. The shop had one large window where black curtains hung, secluding itself in even more darkness and shade. A splintered board above the door proclaimed that it was The Secretum.  
Shaking off the massive sense of the creeps the place gave him, Jack crept forward and rapped his staff twice against the worn oak door.  
After a few seconds, it slowly creaked open to reveal a small, dusty room. And no one in sight.  
"Bit of a cliché," Jack mumbled to himself, decidedly unimpressed with a door opening by itself.  
He stepped inside and was immediately hit with an aroma of must and old soil. The room was mostly bare, except for two mismatched chairs placed on either side of a small, round table. Beyond them there was only a worn, wooden counter, with a door behind it leading off into some further back room. As Jack took in his surroundings, the door swung itself shut behind him and he jumped.  
"Ha!" a man's voice rang out from behind the counter. "Might be a cliché but it still made you leap out of your skin!"  
Jack instinctively held his staff up in a battle stance, ready for whatever strange attacker might pounce at him in this odd place.  
"Put down your weapon, you're in no danger," the same voice said, and the door behind the counter opened.  
A tall, thin aging man strode out, dressed in a billowing set of beige robes. His hair was brown but quickly collecting greys, as was the neatly trimmed beard around his mouth and chin. When he stepped out, he looked first straight at Jack and then eyed the staff he was still holding up defensively.  
"Oh," Jack said, suddenly realizing. "Sorry."  
He lowered it and the old wizard smiled approvingly.  
"That's better," he said in favourable tones.  
With a sweep of his robes, he lifted up the hinge of the counter, strutted out and motioned to the two chairs by the table. Jack hesitated for a beat, and then sank down into the nearest one while the other man arranged himself in the other chair, draping his long arms over the rests.  
"Now," he said conversationally. "If you're here, you know who I am. I'm Axness Fossum, wizard, psychic, grade A warlock, telepathic-in-training. And if my prediction skills haven't gotten completely abysmal yet, you're Jack Frost, one of the guardians. You were sent back in time from early 2014, correct?"  
Jack nodded.  
"Right. Hey, how did you...?" He trailed off, gesturing to the door behind the counter.  
The wizard glanced back and then smiled.  
"You think I can see a hundred and sixty-five years into the future but not through a skeletal, old door?"  
Jack let his hand fall back onto his lap and nodded awkwardly, feeling stupid.  
"Makes sense," he admitted, chancing a shamefaced smile.  
The wizard returned a broader, friendly one.  
"Why are you here Jack?" he asked. "My powers make it easy to see fact and action but hard to see one's desires. What are you doing here?"  
"I was sent back by the other guardians to stop Gulsvig," he explained. "What he does now has terrible effects for people in the future! Really, it's horrible. And I was told to come here to Arendelle to talk to you and get some advice on how to fight another wizard."  
Axness raised a confused eyebrow.  
"Gulsvig? _Kjetil_ Gulsvig, the fire spiritual? What does he have to do with anything?"  
Jack looked down at his hands, cleared his throat, looked back up and opened his mouth to speak again.  
"Right now, in your time, Gulsvig is working on something," he began. "Something big. He's using black magic to collect the very essence of fire and encase it in a stone. For the next hundred and sixty years, that stone will keep concentrating the fundamental nature of fire, making it more and more potent, helping its strength to grow. And then by 2014, it's powerful enough to destroy entire cities by Gulsvig just _pointing_ it in the general direction."  
Axness' face was made up of shock and a sort of sickly curious horror.  
"Have you seen it happen?" he asked in morbid eagerness.  
Jack shook his head.  
"No, not me. But North saw it destroy a small town in Lapland."  
Jack frowned, each crevice and wrinkle of his face holding a great deal of pain and thought.  
"He said it was awful. Just loads of people running and screaming...and Gulsvig miles above them, just laughing and - "  
"Wait," Axness cut him off. "Gulsvig? In 2014? How?"  
"Oh, I forgot to explain that part!" Jack cried. "Yeah, so Gulsvig isn't just storing the essence of _fire_ in the stone, but his own spirit too."  
"My Lord," Axness looked almost torn apart by disbelief. "That would take incredibly complex and dangerous dark magic...and if his own essence stays in the stone for over a hundred years, he -"  
"He becomes more powerful too," Jack concluded grimly. "Right."  
Axness stayed silent for a beat, seemingly rendered speechless.  
"Well then, there isn't a moment to lose Jack!" he said, standing up and rushing back behind the counter in a flutter of robes.  
He disappeared back through the door behind the counter and returned a moment later, holding a very old, very tattered book. He slammed it down onto the counter and flicked through it quickly.  
Jack rose slowly from his chair and peered over at the book curiously.  
"Ah!" Axness cried out suddenly. "Here Jack, come look!"  
Jack hurried over, squinting down at the ragged pages.  
"To capture the essence of any element – earth, water, wind or fire – one must extract it using the root of the Quondam plant."  
"Quondam plant?" Jack repeated. "What's that?"  
"An extraordinarily rare plant that grows in the mountains near here...about once every _five hundred_ years."  
Jack grinned in relief.  
"So if _I_ just get it before Gulsvig does - "  
"Assuming of course that he hasn't _already_ gotten it," Axness said gravely. "Wait one moment."  
And with that, Gulsvig closed his eyes and was completely noiseless for a long, tense moment. When he opened them again, it was quite sudden and he did it with the gasp of a man who had been submerged in water for a very long time.  
"It's not too late!" he cried keenly. "Gulsvig is currently getting ready to leave his own home in Crea to retrieve it. It's a race now Jack, you get to that plant and destroy it and Gulsvig doesn't stand a chance!"  
"Alright! Thank you so much!" the guardian laughed, a huge weight having just been lifted off his shoulders. "So where is it? How do I get to it?"  
"It's just north of Arendelle, beyond the castle. You have the upper hand, you're closer to it already!"  
"Further than the castle, huh?" Jack said, suddenly distracted. "Say, on the topic, is there another person around here with the same powers as me? I've heard some townspeople talking about an ice queen or something? I -"  
"Yes, yes, Queen Elsa," Axness answered abstractedly, still flicking through the book. "She was born with the powers to conjure, command and manipulate snow and ice. She – Ahh, look at this Jack! It says here that the Quondam is a very delicate plant! No magic is required to destroy it, you just have to sever the root!"  
"Really? Great!" Jack whooped excitedly.  
_Well, this is turning out easier than I thought!  
_"Don't get so cocky," Axness said immediately. "You still have to _get _to it."  
"Hey, how did you - ? Wait," Jack gave a half-smile and rolled his eyes impishly. "I forgot you're a telepathic."  
"In training," Axness reminded him, still carefully studying the book's pages. "I can't read all thoughts but I can certainly read a thought as transparent as that. Now," he suddenly ripped a page from the book and handed it to Jack. "Here's a map to the plant. It'll be ripe in three days, which is exactly how much time Gulsvig will need to get to it. It's the only one in the _world_ that'll be ripe in the next a hundred years or so. So once you destroy it, Gulsvig doesn't have a chance at carrying out this plan!"  
Jack stared at the map in awe for a moment and then let out an deferential little laugh.  
"Seriously, I can't thank you enough for this Mr Fossum. The Man In The Moon said you'd help me but I never thought you'd give me so _much_ - "  
But Axness was already waving his hands dismissively.  
"No need for thank yous, just get going!" he said. "It all depends on you now Jack. Get to that plant and get to it quick!"  
"Yes sir!" Jack banged his staff resiliently against the floor and went to stride assertively out of the shop.  
But then he paused, hesitated, looked back.  
"Hey, Mr Fossum?"  
"Mmm?" Axness was still flicking through the pages of the book, wearing a frown of concentration.  
"Do you think...Queen Elsa could help me at all?"  
Axness looked up, blinking.  
"The queen? Well, I'm sure she could give you supplies and things," he thought out loud. "Give it a try if you like Jack. And good luck overall!"  
The wizard then returned all his attention to the book.  
"Thanks," Jack muttered leaving the shop, and suddenly very glad that Axness' investigative psychic powers didn't reach that of his desires.


	3. Chapter 3

Kristoff, Sven and Olaf returned to Arendelle that night, much to everyone's delight. But no one more so than Anna.  
After refusing to release him from a hug for most of the evening, the two eventually retired to their bed chamber around midnight. And shortly after that, after winning the third game of chess with Olaf in a row, Elsa herself decided she was tired enough to sleep.  
In her own bedroom, she stretched, yawned and walked around the large, empty room feeling a little empty herself.  
Anna's lively demeanour and excitable laughter wouldn't fill up this room tonight. Elsa only had herself for company this time.  
Before even undressing, she sat down at the edge of the bed, heaving a heavy sigh. She sat there for a long moment, letting a feeling of immense sadness trickle through her abdomen.  
_Oh, stop it! Pull yourself together Elsa, you have no reason to feel this way.  
_Just as she was about to stand up and start getting ready for bed, she saw it.  
A strange shape whizzed quickly past the window.  
Elsa felt her eyebrows go up in surprise.  
Then it happened again, in one lucid motion.  
Feeling a little nervous, Elsa wondered if she should go get a guard. But raw curiosity getting the better of her, she began to inch slowly towards the window, squinting out into the balmy summer night.

Meanwhile, Jack was perched carefully on the window's ledge, chastising himself for being such a moron.  
He had underestimated how breezy it was tonight and had shot himself up on a gust of wind far too strong, causing him to zoom past the window like some uncoordinated, oversized bird. Had she seen him yet though? Maybe not.  
He slowly lifted his head to peek in the window...and saw the queen inches away from his face, looking right back at him.

Elsa screamed.  
Jack yelled.  
The queen spun around and ran towards her chamber door, shouting manically for the guards.  
"No, wait!" Jack blasted the window open with a small flurry and scrambled inside.  
Elsa stopped at the sound of the window shooting open, turned back around and scowled at the intruder.  
"Stay back!" she warned. "I can and _will _hurt you!"  
"Don't!" Jack yelped, holding up two hands defensively and wondering somewhere at the back of his mind if this could possibly have gone any worse. "I'm not here to hurt _you_!"  
"You expect me to believe _that_?"  
"Yes, look -" Jack went to run towards her.  
"Stay _back_ I said!" and the queen shot a blade of ice at him.  
As it sailed through the air towards him, Jack conjured and fired his own icy arrow. The two collided in mid-air and broke each other apart in a shower of ice shards.  
Elsa gasped.  
As the last of the frosty shavings hit the floor, the queen seemed too shocked and dazed to move.  
Jack inched slowly towards her, still holding his hands up non-confrontationally.  
"I'm not here to hurt you," he repeated calmly. "Please don't be afraid of me."

Elsa's head was spinning.  
Who on earth was this stranger who had burst in her bedroom window? What did he want?  
And he had the same powers as her? That was incredible!  
And now, he was edging towards her, hands held up in the manner of body language's white flag. But could she even trust him?  
_Yes.  
_Something told her yes. In those eyes of his, there was no maliciousness or bad intentions. There was no desire to hurt.  
They were quite kind eyes actually...and very attractive come to think of it...  
"OK," Elsa shook herself free of these off-putting thoughts. "OK, I get it. You're not going to hurt me. But you _are _going to tell me who you are and what you're doing here."  
"Of course," Jack said, breathing out a sigh of relief as he lowered his hands. "Of course. Thanks."  
He smiled at her and for some weird reason, the queen found herself blushing.  
"Eh, you're welcome!" she said quickly. "Now, I am Queen Elsa of Arendelle. Who are you?"  
"Jack Frost," the young man began to explain. "And to be honest, I don't know how long my story is going to take."

In the end, it took the better part of sixty minutes to tell her everything, from his life as a human boy in 1710 to his adventure with the guardians three hundred years later, to the reason why he had been sent back in time now.  
By the end of it, they were both sitting cross-legged in the middle of the room, only a few paces apart.  
"Wow," was all that Elsa could think of saying after he had finished. "That's a pretty crazy story you've got there!"  
"It's all the truth!" Jack was quick to tell her. "I promise, I'm not lying to you."  
Elsa let out a small laugh, which made the muscles in Jack's stomach tighten.  
"No, I know you're not," she said and Jack smiled gratefully.  
"I've heard plenty about magic and time travellers and even the guardians before," Elsa went on. "My great-grandfather was part-warlock and actually had some dealings with them when he was ruler. Something about North and how much noise the sleigh used to make going over Arendelle on Christmas Eve!"  
They both laughed.  
Then Jack frowned, thinking.  
"If your great-grandfather was part-warlock," Jack said slowly. "Is that the reason why you have the powers you do?"  
Elsa smiled sadly, and Jack couldn't help but notice her pallid skin tone, her expressive blue eyes, the slender curve of her jawline. She really was beautiful.  
But why the heck did that thought make his stomach act like a little acrobat?  
"They don't know," she responded with a gloomy tinge in her voice. "Sure, it could be, but it could have just been a random happening either. They don't really know much about people who were _born_ with these abilities, they know a lot more about the people who were cursed with them or given them through magic."  
Jack nodded, trying to imagine what it would have been like if he had harboured his powers since the day of his birth in 1692. It probably would have been stressful at times growing up with such abilities...most likely confusing...almost definitely frightening...maybe even lonely.

"There's still one thing you haven't told me though," Elsa said, pulling Jack away from his musings.  
"Hmm?" he blinked at her.  
"Why did you come here tonight? And why on _earth_ did you try to sneak in through my bedroom window?"  
Jack couldn't help but laugh at himself.  
"I'm sorry about that," he said. "I considered getting an audience and coming to see you during the day but the Man In The Moon said that I shouldn't draw attention to myself while I'm here. I think going to see the _queen_ of a kingdom might fall into the category of not exactly being incognito!"  
Elsa chuckled at this and it made Jack smile.  
"Thing is, I need your help," he said. "From what I know, Gulsvig is an exceptionally powerful spiritual and a really cunning wizard. If I'm going to find that plant before he does, I'm going to need some supplies."  
"Of course," replied the queen, nodding seriously. "What exactly do you need?"  
Jack smiled gratefully again and Elsa found herself feeling a little hot under the collar.  
"Thanks!" he said cheerily. "Thing is, you and I both know that ice is a strong weapon but it can be weak against earth and plants. Especially magic plants! So I need a dagger, just a normal one, to hack through the root of the plant. And a sack to throw it in once I'm done. Probably a shovel too, now that I think of it. I want to do this without using too much of my powers, it'll help keep me subtle like the Man In The Moon wants."  
Elsa nodded, considering this.  
"We have all that here," she said. "In fact..."  
She climbed to her feet, briskly left the room, and was back in under fifteen minutes with a large sack. She passed it to Jack who opened it and saw a shovel and a small, sharp dagger inside.  
"Perfect, thank you your highness!"  
"No problem," Elsa smiled at him. "Anything else?"  
"No, this is great!" Jack grinned, clambering up as he still looked with a grin into the sack. "This mission will be a piece of cake now!"  
"Hopefully," Elsa said. "Do you know which way to go to find this Quondam plant?"  
"Yeah, don't worry, I have a map!" Jack said, getting excited now. "So I guess the sooner I go," – he suddenly paused, his face fell – "the better."  
Elsa was stunned by the feeling of disappointment in her chest.  
What the hell did she think was going to happen? That he'd stay with her in this bedroom forever? She blushed again at the mental implications of that last sentence.  
But Elsa was a royal, a ruler, and she had to conduct herself as one. She had to do what was best for her people, for _all_ people.  
"Well, then you best be on your way," she said in her most ceremonial voice. "A lot of people are relying on you Jack!"  
Jack smiled, a little disappointedly himself.  
"Right, thanks again," and he turned back to the window.  
With each step he took, both their hearts sank.

Just as he gripped the frame to step out, Jack stopped.  
"Hey, your majesty?" he ventured.  
"Yes?" Elsa replied, a little more breathlessly than she liked.  
"You listened to all of my story tonight," he said and then turned to face her. "And I was rude enough not to ask about any of yours."  
Elsa looked at him in surprise and then smiled, moved by his thoughtfulness.  
"Well...once you get the plant and are returning those objects here to the castle, why don't I tell you?"  
Jack nodded.  
"Sounds great to me your highness. Bye for now."  
And he made a move to climb out the window.  
"Wait, Jack!"  
"Yeah?" he turned around once more.  
"You can call me Elsa."  
She didn't know what possessed her to say it. It was totally random, unnecessary and a little bit inappropriate to be honest.  
But then, the way Jack smiled at her after she said it...made her feel like she had done the right thing.  
"OK," he said amenably. "Thanks for all your help Elsa, I'll see you soon."  
And with that, he was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

The air was warm that night. The large undulating hill was quiet.  
Jack dug his staff into the ground, leaned on it, pulled himself forward. He took out the map, checked it, tucked it safely back into his coat.  
The Quondam was close. Very close.  
As a guardian, he could even sense a dark power, a dangerous strength, radiating off of...something.  
He kept going, clambering further up the grassy mountainside.

He was keen to reach it, eager to destroy it, complete his mission and then return to Arendelle.  
Give back the items he had borrowed and...see Elsa.  
His heart thumped suddenly, like a giant hand knocking once on a door.  
Something shot up from his chest and bloomed a crooked, reluctant smile on his face.  
Jack pushed it back, feeling both giddily happy and nervously confused.  
Those types of emotions were...  
"Weird," he muttered out loud, and kept going.

Meanwhile, back in her bed chamber in the castle, Elsa tried to sleep but to no avail.  
She was like a child waiting for Christmas morning. Excitement coursed through her veins, danced in her mind, seemed to shout from somewhere in her chest.  
It was a wonderful feeling, strange but fantastic, and she relished in this new, spectacular wonder.

But under that she felt perplexed, uneasy, maybe even...afraid?  
She'd never felt like this before about anyone, shutting herself off from the world for years did that to you...  
And while she had noticed men's good looks before, while she had appreciated their charm and wit, their general attractiveness, she had never felt quite like this. It had never progressed this far.  
She supposed this was what most girls and women experienced for the first time just as they were hitting puberty, or sometimes even before that.  
This was a crush.  
But just as that thought presented itself to her, she frowned and quickly turned over in the bed, as if trying to turn her back on the notion.  
She closed her eyes, told herself not to be so stupid, willed herself to sleep.  
Eventually, she fell agitatedly into a deep sleep.  
In her dream, Jack was in her room in that long cloak of his and that strange-looking blue tunic (was it a tunic? He had said it was 21st century attire, that was all she remembered) with the hood.  
And then suddenly, he wasn't wearing the cloak. Or the tunic thing. Or the tan-coloured trousers underneath.  
And suddenly her dream became very primal and raw and when she remembered it the next morning, she blushed and pushed it to the back of her mind.

Around the same time, just as Elsa's dream was becoming exceptionally adult, Jack was bending down by a small, blooming red plant.  
Excited that he had found it, Jack couldn't help but notice how pretty it was. A deep shade of crimson, pulsating with an odd orange glow, the plant was already overflowing with the ruby-coloured pollen that gave it its magical ability.  
Just one scoop of that pollen and Gulsvig would be able to complete his preparation of the stone.  
But Jack could tell it wasn't fully blossomed yet, the petals were just beginning to open up, like a sleepy eye in the early morning.  
Suddenly remembering that he was working on a time restraint, Jack swung the sack Elsa had given him over his shoulder and onto the ground beside the Quondam, opening it quickly.

He grabbed the shovel and dug it into the ground, working at a fast pace to crack open the earth around the plant and uncover the root below.  
Within a matter of minutes, he had done it. The root was exposed, glowing a faint red and throbbing life efficiently up to the rest of the Quondam.  
Feeling a little regretful that he had to kill the power of such a beautiful plant, Jack held the dagger doubtfully in his hand.  
This felt wrong.

He blinked at the Quondam, appreciating the splendour of the little plant.  
But suddenly, his mind was filled with a much less pleasant image.  
North's face, panicked and in shock, eyes stung red with tears, talking about Gulsvig's siege of the little town in Lapland.  
_Men, women, children, everybody! They never even stood a fucking chance!  
_And North never swore. He was partly a kids' guardian after all, he needed to be family-friendly!  
Keeping North's broken expression in his mind's eye, Jack moved his arm in a quick jerking motion and easily hacked through the plant's root in a few quick, strong swipes.  
The plant's orange glow immediately died away, its crimson petals wilting almost at once. As a final act, it seemed to throw up the pollen which lay dustily on the ground, reduced to a dead, grey colour and rendered totally useless.  
Jack felt a great parade of joy and relief rise up in him, voices in his mind shouting out in exuberant respite, liberation and happiness.  
Packing the two objects back into the sack and securing it tightly with a piece of twine, Jack felt good.  
Good that he'd accomplished the mission, good that the world in 2013 was safe, good that all was well.  
And if he was really honest with myself? Good that he got to now go see Elsa again.  
Standing up, he threw the sack back over his shoulder, firmly planted his staff down on the ground and began heading back down the mountain.

About ten paces away in a clump of trees, a hooded figure had watched helplessly as Jack had severed the root of the plant.  
He had observed the plant become ineffective and the pollen swiftly lose all its magic capabilities.  
He pressed a furious hand to the nearest tree and let it burn a large black stain in the bark.  
Gulsvig was beyond livid. His plan had been destroyed. His rage was uncontrollable. He would make that boy pay.


	5. Chapter 5

Jack sat in the Arendelle city square, sack containing the shovel and dagger at his feet. The sun was shining generously that afternoon, the square was bustling with people and Jack sat on a low wall, chewing thoughtfully on an apple he had bought from a street vendor.  
A bout five metres away from him, a little girl and two little boys played with a ball.  
Jack glanced to his right, towards the castle. This evening, as soon as darkness fell, he would go back. He smirked mischievously to himself.  
He had a plan for tonight...a plan for him and Elsa, He was going to -  
Suddenly, the ball slipped from one of the boys' grip, fell to the ground and rolled over to Jack.  
It touched off his leg, causing his daydream to instantly burst.  
He blinked, looked around.  
The little girl had approached him, arms outstretched for the ball.

Jack didn't react for a moment.  
From a distance, Jack hadn't noticed but up close the little girl looked amazingly like his younger sister. Straight chocolate hair, round brown eyes and this kid even had the same prominent front teeth! She smiled at him and Jack smiled back.  
He picked up the ball, tossed it to her.  
She caught it easily.  
"Thank you!" she chirped and ran back to the two little boys.  
Jack watched them for a moment, then felt his smile fade.  
Remembering her was lovely but it was also difficult. It was something that hacked at him, slowly, bitingly.  
Her memory caused him so much happiness...and an almost equal amount of hurt.  
Jack stood up, gripped the sack, slung it over his shoulder.  
He walked away from the square, with one fleeting look back to the young girl.  
As he did it, she caught his eye and grinned broadly.  
Jack smiled back, feeling like his heart was breaking and blossoming at the same time.

It wasn't too long after that, when the sun went down and the sky began to turn black, that Jack returned to the castle.


	6. Chapter 6

Elsa paced the room, wringing her hands and running her fingers nervously through her hair.  
Would Jack be back tonight?  
She didn't know, he hadn't specified...  
She _assumed _he'd come after dark though. After all, he had said that getting a proper audience with the queen would be drawing too much attention to himself.  
She stopped, sighed, made herself sit down.  
But almost immediately, her body gracefully sprang back up and she was striding quickly around the room again.  
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door that made her audibly gasp.  
"Yes?" she called out, wishing like crazy thar the jitteriness she felt wouldn't show so much in her voice.  
"It's me."  
Anna.  
"Come in!" Elsa made an effort to inject some calm into her tone.  
Her sister gently prised open the door and peeked into the room.

"Hi!" she smiled. "Kristoff is showing me, Olaf and a few of the servants a new card game he learned to play from some merchants while he was away. You wanna come join us?"  
"Uh, I c-can't!" Elsa stammered far too quickly.  
She winced, Anna raised an eyebrow suspiciously.  
But then her face gave way to kind concern.  
"Elsa...are you OK?" Anna ventured. "These past few days, you've seemed a little...jumpy."  
"Hmm, just pressure I guess," Elsa forced a smile that she hoped was convincing. "It's not always easy passing bills and regulating laws! And there's been so much work in the past while...I think I'm just tired Anna," she faked a yawn, "an early night tonight would probably do me a lot of good!"  
Anna looked a little disappointed but then gave her sister a half-smile.  
"Alright," she said. "Sleep well Elsa. Maybe you can join us for cards tomorrow night?"  
"Maybe," Elsa agreed, suddenly feeling a bit guilty. "Thanks for understanding. Have fun down there!"  
"We will. Goodnight!"  
"Night."  
As the door clicked shut, Elsa felt her face fall.  
Was this right? Sneaking around, hiding something, lying to her sister...  
Even though it had only been twenty-four hours since she'd met Jack, Elsa was already being slowly tugged back into the world of lies and secrecy.  
A world she knew she never wanted to go back to...especially if it drove _another_ unnecessary wedge between her and Anna.  
It was just then, as these worrying thoughts were encircling the queen's brain, that she heard a gentle tap-tap-tap on the window.  
She turned around and saw Jack, perched on the windowsill and smiling in.  
All worries instantly vanished as she felt a broad smile break out on her own face.

"Hi, you're back!" Elsa opened the window and let Jack clamber into the room.  
"I said I would be," Jack replied casually, straightening up.  
In some far-flung subconscious corner of her mind, Elsa's brain found itself admiring his height. He wasn't much taller than her but he was tall enough to make her feel like he was a force that could stand guard over her, look after her.  
These thoughts didn't come to her directly of course, they simply passed through her mind in a small flood of confused and scrambled emotions. One of them provoked memories of the dream from last night and Elsa quickly thought of something else to say before she began blushing in horror.  
"Well, still," she said quickly, trying to compose herself. "It was very noble of you to come back here so quickly. Did you...get to the Quondam?"  
Jack grinned at her (her heart responded by stumbling over a beat or two).  
"Yeah, it's completely destroyed!" Jack told her. "Gulsvig doesn't have a chance now. The world in 2013 is safe!"  
Completely relieved, Jack let out a thankful laugh and Elsa laughed along with him.  
When she did, Jack felt a sort of heat rise up in his chest.  
His face turned more serious, but didn't lose its smile. He stretched out his fingers impatiently, sensing the feeling rise up and down inside him, spreading out in all directions.  
The best way he could describe it? It felt like his world had just been set on fire.  
This rush of emotion came so swiftly and unexpectedly that he simply dropped the sack to the floor and turned back to the window, gently tugging at Elsa's arm.  
"Come on!" he told her.  
"Come on?" Elsa sounded bewildered. "Come on where?"

Jack reached the window, put his foot on the windowsill, turned back to her with a wide grin.  
"You still have to tell me your story!" he said. "Remember? And as well as that, I want to see what you can do with those powers I've heard so much about!"  
But when he saw her reaction, his face fell.

Elsa was cupping her left hand in her right hand, moving them tensely but slowly, in a way that made Jack think she barely knew she was doing it.  
They moved close to her chest as she looked at him, nervousness etched onto her face.  
"Hey," Jack said gently. "What's wrong? You don't want to come?"

"I just – I-" Elsa looked down at her feet, embarrassed and angry at herself. "I'm not sure if I want to leave the -"  
But at that moment, she looked up.  
And she saw the genuine concern in Jack's eyes, the worried way his mouth was slightly agape, the indisputable kindness engraved in every feature on his handsome face.  
She saw it all, as well so much more than her brain could process.  
She smiled at him, hands dropping down to her sides.  
"Never mind," she told him, and let out a chuckle. "I was just being silly."  
"You sure?" the concern didn't leave his face.  
Elsa nodded once.  
"I'm sure," she said.  
Jack grinned then and inched towards the window again.  
"OK, ready?"  
He jumped, summoning wind quickly.

Elsa hurried to the window and watched him glide back and forth in front of her, enthralled by the mere fact that a person could really fly.  
He ducked and dove in front of the window in such a way that made Elsa wonder if he was deliberately showing off for her.  
The idea made her smirk.  
"What's the matter?" Jack asked her, swooping by playfully. "You don't want to join me?"  
"I don't think I can," she answered him, laughing. "I've never tried flying!"  
Jack landed softly on the windowsill, extended a hand to her, grinned broadly.  
"Try now."  
Elsa looked at his hand and felt another rush of uncertainty.  
But then she glanced up into his face and, yet again, knew it was OK.  
She took his hand and let him yank her up out the window and onto the ledge.  
She lost her balance as it happened and Jack grabbed her other hand, steadying her.  
"Whoa, you alright?"  
"Yeah," Elsa regained her stability and beamed up at him. "Now what?"

Jack blinked, frozen for a second.  
Out here, in the pale moonlight, he could see her so much more clearly. The milky appearance of her skin, the placid look in her startlingly bright blue eyes, the sweet curve of her nose, the gentle parting of her lips.  
_Stunning_.  
The word echoed in his mind and thumped once in his heart.  
Jack shook himself out of the strange trance, trying not to notice how soft her hands were in his.  
He smiled self-assuredly at her in an effort to recover his confidence.  
"Right, OK! It's all about shooting the gust of wind at the exact right moment," he informed her. "Can you do that?"  
Elsa nodded determinedly.  
"I think so sir!" she said jokingly.  
"Of course you can! Now," Jack now had a mischievous look in his eye. "Then on the count of three, alright? One, two..."  
In one fast motion, Jack let himself fall backwards off the ledge, pulling Elsa with him.  
_"Three!"  
_Elsa cried out, sending a gust of wind billowing in almost a panic.  
She sent them both several feet up in the air but lost her centre in the process. As she tumbled out of an upright position, she felt strong hands grab her smoothly but firmly around the waist and straighten her up.  
"I got you," Jack said confidently in her ear.  
His legs bent upwards, creating a sort of chair for her.  
Elsa made a conscious effort to regulate the wind that was holding them up and suddenly...they were balanced!  
She looked back at Jack over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow, smiling.

Jack grinned back.  
"What?" he laughed at the look on her face.  
"You didn't tell me you were going to do that!" she said, elbowing him playfully in the ribs.  
"Ow!" Jack chuckled. "Well, you can't be mad at me! I mean, you're flying now, aren't you?"  
Elsa looked down at the ground far below them and smiled, proud of this newfound ability of hers.  
"I guess we are," she said, and glanced back at him. "Thanks Jack!"  
"No problem," he replied. "Now...show me Arendelle!"  
And with that, Elsa propelled a gust of wind to carry them both away from the castle and down, down, down into the rooftops of her kingdom.


	7. Chapter 7

They weaved down through the rooftops, lunging around corners and ducking through city streets.  
Winding their way through all of Arendelle, Elsa pointed out everything to Jack, from the dockland to the "best baker in the kingdom" and back again.  
Jack nodded, smiled, genuinely interested in the tour, but even more interested in thinking up a good reason to touch her again.  
Wanting to try out her own ability to fly, Elsa had moved away from Jack and was now riding the wind by herself, cautiously but excitedly testing this newfound skill.  
Jack watched the eager, curious look on her face with a grin. It was cute to see how excited she was.  
"Getting the hang of it?" he asked her after a while.  
Elsa looked over at him, a playful flicker in her eye.  
"Try to catch me and see!" she said and dove behind the blacksmith's forge.  
With a grin, Jack plummeted down after her, secretly overjoyed that she had suggested a game of tag.  
And an excuse to hold her in some way.

It was harder than he'd have thought though.  
Elsa was new to the flying game but she was no slouch.  
Zooming down deserted midnight Arendelle streets, she invoked more wind and gathered speed. Whipping around a sharp corner and blasting down a side-street, she looked behind her...and saw that Jack was nowhere in sight.  
Dropping her feet gently back down to the ground, she frowned in worry.  
Had he lost track of her and gotten lost somehow?  
But it was right then that she heard the high-pitched whistle of wind behind her and turned around just in time to see Jack soaring towards her, a mischievous grin plastered on his face.  
As quick as she could, she conjured up another gust and lifted high above the ground again, laughing from the adrenaline rush.  
Jack took off after her and they both rocketed up into the inky black sky, leaving Arendelle far below.  
Panting hard, Jack picked up speed and came close to Elsa.  
"Wanna give up now?" he grinned roguishly at her.  
Elsa looked back at him, smirked.  
"Not any time soon Jack!"  
She swooped towards the ground, the guardian in hot pursuit.

As she flew closer to the large grassy play area beyond one of the kingdom's schools, Elsa stretched her arms out and felt a grin stretch out wide on her face too.  
This was the most ineffable, liberating and incredibly _fun _feeling. And having Jack experience it with her? Well, for reasons she couldn't quite understand, that somehow made it even better.  
The sentiment of the moment distracted her as she flew closer to the ground and Jack saw his opportunity.  
"Gotcha!"  
He grabbed her around the waist in a sort of docile rugby tackle and they both toppled to the ground, tumbling and laughing as they went.  
Jack came to rest on his back, Elsa's hands clapping onto his chest as she landed on top of him.  
They both chuckled, faces inches apart.  
And then the tenseness of the moment hit them.  
A sort of strained, sensually charged tension took over the atmosphere and they both quickly made to get away from one another, unsure of what the other wanted.

"Sorry!" Elsa said, scrambling to her feet. "I didn't mean to land _on_ you!"  
"That's OK," Jack used his staff to heave himself up off the ground. "Are you alright?"  
"Never better," Elsa said, and she meant it. "What about you? I didn't hurt you when I crashed into you, did I?"  
"Nah, of course not! You're very light," Jack told her.  
They both smiled at each other.  
"You know," Jack said. "You still have to tell me your story. I've heard bits and pieces from around Arendelle but I want to hear the full thing from the Ice Queen herself."  
"Oh, right!" Elsa blinked, finding herself touched by how interested Jack was in her. "Where do you want me to begin?"  
Jack threw his staff over his shoulder, started walking and motioned that he wanted her to follow him.  
"The very start," he replied. "Don't leave out any details. We've got all night."  
Elsa smiled graciously and began walking with him.  
"Well, I guess it all began when my sister Anna and I were very young..."


	8. Chapter 8

They walked for a great deal of the story, then sat on a bench by the main square, then walked again.  
By the time she had finished, Jack and Elsa were sitting again, this time on the low wall overlooking the Arendelle harbour.  
The sun was sending its first few rays over the horizon and Jack enjoyed the melodious hum of Elsa's voice in the summer night air.  
Elsa, on the other hand, simply enjoyed Jack's mere presence.

"And ever since then, the people in the kingdom have really appreciated what can do with my powers," Elsa concluded finally. "We schedule regular ice-skating days at the castle and have snowball fights for charity in the smaller courtyards. It's a lot of fun for everyone."  
"It sounds it," Jack grinned appreciatively. "And why wouldn't it be? By the sounds of your story, you can do incredible things with your powers."  
Elsa smiled at him.  
"So can you," she said.  
Jack shrugged.  
"I guess," he replied with a small smile and glanced out at the water before them.  
He thought for a moment and his face turned serious.  
"I'm glad, you know," he told her.  
Elsa turned to look at him.  
"That your life is better now, that your people value you the way they should," he said. "You deserve it after everything you've been through. You deserve to be happy."  
Elsa was so moved by his words that she didn't know what to say for a moment.  
"Well...so do you."  
"Thanks," Jack let out a tiny laugh.  
"No, you do!" Elsa insisted.  
The ardour in her voice was what caused Jack to tear his eyes away from the sea and look at her.  
"You've been through a lot too," Elsa reminded him. "And you deserve to be appreciated as a real guardian, just like North and Bunnymund and Sandy and all the rest! After all, like you told me the other night, you're the one who gave the kids all that amazing faith that defeated Pitch in the end."  
"I don't know if I'd say I gave them _faith_..." Jack trailed off modestly.  
"Oh, sure you did!" Elsa cried. "You showed them you believed in _fun_ Jack and that meant you believed in _them_! And if a _guardian_ had faith in them, how could those kids not have faith in themselves?"  
Jack's eyes widened and he couldn't stop a very wide, very happy smile from spreading across his face.  
"I never thought if it that way," he said dreamily. "Wow Elsa."  
Elsa beamed at him and he smiled back.

Suddenly, there were voices.  
Both Jack and Elsa whipped around and saw two fishermen, chatting to each other as they headed down to their boats.  
"Whoa, up before the sun in _summer_?" Jack murmured, watching them trek down to the port. "Talk about being dedicated to your job."  
"It's not that far from sunrise now," Elsa said, glancing up into the rapidly brightening sky.  
And then, with much reluctance, she muttered her next few words in an air of disinclination.  
"I guess I should be heading back home."  
Jack's head snapped to look at her, he blinked.  
"Oh, of course!" he said stupidly, feeling his heart sink in his chest. "Yeah. Of course."  
He hopped down from the wall and forced a smile, despite his increasing disappointment that the night was over.  
"Come on, I'll walk you back," he offered.  
Elsa smiled, stood up and they both began striding towards the Arendelle castle, talking, joking and laughing as they went.

The conversation they were having about Augustan era poetry lasted so long that they stood for nearly another full half hour outside the castle, just talking.  
Elsa told Jack that it had been her favourite time period of poetry to study with her tutor.  
Jack told Elsa that he had been teased by his friends for enjoying poetry so much, and actively seeking it out in newspapers and public pamphlets.  
"I just liked the beat, the rhythm the poems set off in your head," Jack tried to explain. "It was so impressive but so natural, y'know?"  
"Yeah, like it struck you, it was remarkable, but at the same time...it felt like something _everyone_ should be able to do," Elsa added to his point. "Almost as if it was..."  
"Innate," they both said at the same time, paused in surprise, and then laughed.  
A small silence fell between them and both of them searched for words to say.  
It was not an uncomfortable silence but it was one that they both felt they should try to fill.  
"I really enjoyed this talk Jack," Elsa said sincerely.  
Jack nodded, smiled earnestly at her.  
"I did too," he said. "Best all-nighter I've ever pulled!"  
They both chuckled.

"So..." the question she'd been dreading. "I guess you'll be going back to 2013 now, right? Since...your work here is all done."  
Jack opened his mouth as if to answer, then closed it again. He shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. He had been fearing the question just as much as Elsa.  
"There's no rush," he said quietly. "I want to soak up the peace of 1845 for a little while longer. I feel closer to home here. Or, at least, a lot closer than I do in 2013."  
It wasn't a complete lie. Certain features of this century did remind him very strongly of his life back in the early 1700's and he liked that, he found it comforting and enjoyable.  
But not as comforting and enjoyable as he found Elsa's company.  
"I'd imagine so," Elsa said, looking out over Arendelle. "And this century has some good poetry too."  
She looked back at him, smiled and shrugged, trying to remain casual.  
"It's all in the castle library if you're interested."  
Jack felt excitement rise inside him, swelling like a balloon.  
"I can come back tomorrow night?" he said, hoping the enthusiasm and hope he felt so supremely wasn't showing too much in his voice and making him sound like a loser. "If it's OK with you."  
"It's fine with me," Elsa said. "See you then?"  
Elsa made a move to walk away and Jack found his heart thumping in trepidation.  
_Now or never_, a voice in his head firmly told him.  
"Sure," he said, frozen to the spot. "See you then."

Elsa smiled at him, a faint dissatisfaction gurgling in her stomach.  
Nothing. Oh well.  
She waved, he waved back and she turned to walk away towards the castle.  
_Well what did you expect? _she asked herself angrily. _A marriage proposal or something? You -  
_"Hey, Elsa?"  
"Yeah?"  
She turned back around.

Before he could chicken out again, Jack moved forward quickly, dropped his staff to the ground with a clatter and placed his hands lightly but securely on Elsa's waist.  
As his brain screamed and shouted with a thousand different worries and fears, he leaned in and pushed his mouth gently against hers.  
For the first few seconds, he just took in her scent of baroque rooms, clean linen, cold lightly-falling rain and something more mysterious, flowery and sweet. The Elsa smell he'd been gleefully inhaling all night now flared all around him, surrounding his senses. He was happy in that moment, but even happier when Elsa put her arms around his neck and reciprocated the kiss.

His lips were softer than she'd ever imagined a man's lips to be.  
And that smell, that wonderful Jack smell (Jack _aroma_) she'd been getting hits of all night now encircled her. It was reminiscent of fresh sheets in the morning, aged wooden furniture and a secondary scent of something earthy and masculine that she couldn't quite place.  
She just knew that she liked it. A lot.  
Jack pulled her a little closer but it was gently, kindly.  
In turn, she wrapped her arms a little tighter around his neck and opened her mouth slightly, wondering if he'd be interested in tasting just a little bit more of her.

He was.  
When her lips parted, he felt a surge of excitement in his chest and (slightly more embarrassingly) below his belt.  
Still feeling the need to be mellow, Jack tested the waters by hinting his tongue against her mouth. When she responded by lapping her own tongue gently against his, he felt a bit braver and extended his tongue further.

She tilted her head, he moved closer to her again.  
He held her a little harder, she gripped a little tighter.  
They stayed that way for a long, warm while, both enjoying it completely. And when they finally broke apart, Elsa quickly leaned forward again to press one last long kiss against his mouth.  
She started to move away when Jack tilted his head and kissed her forehead.  
Then they smiled at each other, Elsa's hands gliding down his arms in an absent-minded, almost dreamlike way.  
Jack caught her hands in his own and gave them a quick squeeze.  
They looked at each other for a long moment.  
"I'll come back tonight," Jack whispered.  
"Tonight," Elsa repeated. "See you then Jack."  
"Bye Elsa."  
Slowly, her hands left his and she walked away towards the castle.  
Jack picked his staff up off the ground and waved at her until she slipped behind the castle door, giving him a final flourish of her hand.

As he strode away from the castle and back down into the main square of Arendelle (with the intention of checking into an inn to take a long overdue nap), Jack could barely keep the elated smile from his face.  
He didn't notice the cloaked figure who had been observing him and Elsa from a clump of trees just outside the castle.  
But now the figure watched him walk out of sight and then looked up at the castle, grinned, pulled down his hood.  
"Right," Gulsvig muttered to himself. "_This _is how I hurt you little boy."


	9. Chapter 9

"Elsa, just _tell_ me!"  
Anna practically danced down the hall after her sister, voice reaching new decibels with every step.  
Elsa sighed, rolled her eyes. Just her luck her sister would look out the window just as she had been kissing Jack goodbye...  
Anna grabbed her arm and grinned up at her pleadingly.  
"Come _on_!" she cried excitedly. "Who is he? Who is he? _Who is he_?"  
"Anna, I told you," Elsa couldn't stop herself from laughing as she spoke. "His identity has to remain a secret."  
"Even from _me_, your loving sister?"  
"From _everybody_."  
"Jeez," Elsa's eyes widened in sudden recognition of the seriousness of the situation.  
But then a mischievous smile curled back around her lips.  
"That sounds pretty _sexy_!"  
Elsa rolled her eyes again, still smiling, and both sisters laughed.  
"Well," Anna ventured. "Can you at least tell me what he's like? Without giving away any details about who he _is _I mean!"  
Elsa's smile slipped slowly off her face as she thought about it for a moment.  
"Eh," she said pensively. "Well he's very sweet. And insightful. Incredibly fun-loving and humorous. And very -"  
"Aww, look!" Anna was suddenly pointing enthusiastically at Elsa's face. "Look at that big grin on your face! This guy has got you _high_ on his company!"  
Elsa was surprised. She hadn't even realized that a grin had crept back onto her mouth as she had been talking.  
But it had. A warm, happy grin that echoed exactly how Jack had made her feel last night.

He pushed down and she groaned in his ear.  
Each ecstatic syllable emitting from her mouth made him plunge deeper and sweeter.  
She held onto his shoulders as he rocked back and forth, thrusting as hard as he could without hurting her. He could feel the climax coming, the sharp, superb feeling of total release and complete euphoria as he...  
Jack woke up in a small, dusty room in the large inn by the Arendelle harbour.  
He swung himself into a sitting position as he rubbed his sleep-laden eyes.  
Slowly, the way water trickles through a crack in the wall, loud memories of his dream came back to him.  
He grinned impishly to himself but he also felt a little embarrassed. Even sad.  
Sure, Elsa had kissed him and it'd been great but that didn't necessarily mean that she wanted to sleep with him.  
At the end of the day, she was a queen (a _gorgeous_ queen) and he, guardian or not, was just an average guy. He sighed and flopped back down on the bed, reluctantly reminding himself that this was a dream that would probably never come true.


	10. Chapter 10

Sleep came quickly to the kingdom that night and most Arendelle citizens were snug in their beds by midnight.  
Even in the castle, most of the inhabitants had drifted off to bed and were now existing in some distant land of dreams.

The castle's vast library lay mostly in darkness, each book-crammed shelf silent and motionless in the nightly calm.  
But tucked away in one corner of the series of extravagant rooms, a single lantern lit up the area around it.  
The lantern rested against a table where Jack and Elsa were hunched over a large book.  
"The shadows dance upon the wall, by the still dancing fire-flames made," Elsa read aloud in a slow, quiet voice. "And now they slumber, moveless all. And now they melt to one deep shade."  
Jack snuck a glance at Elsa as she read. Her face looked beautiful as ever in the stark light from the lantern and hearing her recite this poetry was like seeing fine art itself.  
"But let me check this tender lay," she went on. "Which none may hear but she and thou. Like the still hive at quiet midnight humming. Murmur it to yourselves, ye two beloved women."  
She finished and looked up at him with a smile.  
"I liked that," Jack said immediately. "I didn't think the pace was as strong as it was with the other ones you read out but it was still a good rhyming scheme. I still think "A Tombless Epitaph" is my favourite by this Coleridge guy though. The emotion in it was just awesome."  
Elsa beamed at him.  
It was so sweet to see this meditative, smart and perceptive side to Jack. He really did have an amazing range of a personality – from shouting excitedly as they flew through Arendelle streets to sitting here in the library with her, appreciating the finer points of poetry from the era of Romanticism.  
"What?" Jack asked her with a little laugh.  
Elsa suddenly realized she had been staring at Jack wordlessly with a dopey smile on her face. She spun around quickly and gave her full attention back to the book.  
"Oh, n-nothing!" she blabbered, feeling like an idiot. "I was just – just thinking that _my _favourite poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge is probably "About The Nightingale." You know, the second one I read you?"  
"Oh sure, I liked the choice of words in that one," Jack commented with an appreciative smile. Then he looked up. "Hey, Elsa?"  
Elsa turned around, feeling nervous though she didn't quite know why.  
"Yeah?"  
"Who's your _favourite _poet? Like, ever? All-time favourite?"  
Elsa felt her face light up.  
"That's easy," she said. "John Keats!"  
"Oh yeah?"  
"Yeah, he was amazing!" Elsa gushed. "He was interested in the transcendent – what went beyond human understanding and how that related to nature. It really is fascinating stuff to read and the way he talks about beauty -"  
"Will you read me something by him?" he asked.  
Elsa stopped, looked up. Smiled in the lamplight.  
"Sure."

"And such too is the grandeur of the dooms. We have imagined for the mighty dead. An endless fountain of immortal drink, pouring unto us from the heaven's brink."  
Elsa smiled admiringly down at the page once she finished.  
"A Thing Of Beauty," she told Jack. "That's what the poem's called."  
"It's pretty incredible," he replied, nodding. "Really powerful language. I like the point it makes too – about how ordinary things only stay in our memories for a short time but beautiful things stay with us forever. I think that's true."  
He smiled quite deliberately at Elsa when she said that and she smiled back.  
"Possibly one of my all-time favourite poems ever," Elsa told him. "It's just _refreshing_ to read, y'know? Keats was such a talented poet."  
"Hey, is there something going on between you and this John guy?" Jack asked playfully. "Because I don't like beating people up but if I have to -"  
Elsa laughed.  
"Well he's been dead since 1821 so I don't think it'd be a fair fight," she smiled, cocking an eyebrow.  
She looked so sexy when she did it that Jack couldn't help but lean forward, take her face gently in his hands and kiss her again. Elsa reciprocated with much enthusiasm, gripping his hoodie lightly and pulling him closer towards her.  
They broke apart and smiled at each other in the light of the lantern.  
"You know, I really like that I get to do that," Jack told her and Elsa laughed.  
"Me too," she responded and leaned in again.

Neither of them was quite sure how it happened.  
They were just kissing for a while – a long, enjoyable while – and things seemed to just...strengthen.  
The zeal and speed of their kisses built up, their bodies pushed closer together and the fervour in the air seemed to get tenser and keener.  
Elsa wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, Jack pulled her close by the hips...and they both tumbled off the chairs and onto the glossy library floor.  
They both looked up in shock, blinking confusedly.  
Then Elsa laughed. Jack laughed too.  
He jumped to his feet and offered her a hand. She took it and hoisted herself back into a standing position. Instinctively, Jack slipped his arms around her waist again and she rested her hands on the guardian's chest. They leaned in again, kissed and then just stood there for a moment, forehead to forehead.  
"I really like you Elsa," Jack said after a while, in the sincerest voice Elsa had ever heard him use so far. "I like spending time with you, I like being around you, I just like _knowing _you!"  
Elsa smiled to herself and replied in equally frank tones.  
"I really like you too Jack," she paused and then continued. "I'm glad you came to Arendelle."  
"Me too," he replied and kissed her forehead.  
Elsa thought hard for a moment.  
All day long, she'd been contemplating the possibility of inviting Jack to do something with her. Throughout the entire day, she'd weighed up the options of the deed as it played on her mind, tormenting her just as much as it excited her.  
And now, right here, taking in his company and inhaling his sweet scent, she wanted it more than ever.  
"What are you thinking?" Jack asked her light-heartedly.  
Her answer both shocked and delighted Jack.  
"I was thinking of asking you if you wanted to come to bed with me."


	11. Chapter 11 (NSFW)

_Author's note: OK, if you haven't __completely__ given up hope on me and this story yet, you probably hate me just a little for taking so damn long to update it. And your rage is totally justified.  
I have been super busy with essays, exam preparation, study and the like (while still trying to maintain a social life) and my account became severely neglected in the process.  
But I promise that I will __try __to update this and my other stories more frequently now.  
Thank you so much for following me and "The Great Thaw Out" thus far, I really appreciate it and I value your support, feedback and reviews more than you know.  
Happy reading!  
Also, WARNING: __Very__ mature content in this chapter. I rate it as 18+ to be on the safe side. _

It had been a while.  
_Over three hundred fucking years, _Jack thought miserably to himself.  
And had it even been anything to brag about?  
Fumbling around, unsure but eager, with the baker's daughter. She had been a pretty young lady and Jack had quite liked her as a friend and loved her body as an object.  
They enjoyed each other's company for most of the summer before she had drifted off with some taller, more suave and more experienced guy. Jack hadn't cared so much. A quick dive under the sheets with his mother's friend's daughter had mended any cracks in his heart.  
Then, there had been that one romp with the blacksmith's niece after they had both gotten tipsy on ale in Lydia Hawthorne's barn while her parents were spending the night with relatives in the next town over.  
And that had been it.  
The complete overview of Jackson Overland Frost's sexual history.  
He hadn't even done it with anyone yet in the 21st century.  
"Man, does it even still _work_?" he muttered to himself.  
Well, it _seemed _ready to go when he'd been kissing Elsa in the library earlier anyway...  
Finally, he exhaled heavily, shoved himself back from the bathroom mirror and tried to inject some confidence in himself.  
_It'll be fine. Just fine. None of the other girls complained.  
_He couldn't stop a dirty grin accompanying the self-assurance that such a thought instilled in him.  
But as he opened the door and trudged back out into Elsa's main bedchamber, Jack couldn't help but feel his confidence deflate again slightly when another thought occurred to him.  
_Yeah but...none of the other girls were Elsa._

While Jack panicked about his ability in her bedroom's ensuite, Elsa sat waiting in bed and worried about her own.  
She had no past experiences to compare what was about to happen to.  
Isolating yourself from everyone for years meant that no one even came _near _to being so close to you. And it was close. Incredibly close. Extraordinarily intimate.  
Would she even be able to _handle _so much contact after years of seclusion? Would she even be able to enjoy it? And what about Jack? What if she was _bad_ at sex and he got no satisfaction from her?  
_Right. OK. I should call it off.  
_She swept out of the bed and onto her feet at the exact same second that Jack re-entered the room.  
And that was the moment that all doubt was erased from both their minds.

He had opted to keep his trousers on but take off his hoodie.  
She had been lying under the covers completely naked.  
They stared at each other for a moment.  
She took in his slender but athletic physique, the brawny definition on his arms and the gently chiselled look of the muscles on his abdomen and chest.  
He took in the milky white appearance of her skin, her long legs and the gorgeous, effeminate way her waist curved.  
Looking at her breasts (small but perky with the nipples roused slightly and sweetly in the chill of the room) made him so stiff it was almost painful.  
But looking down below her breasts, past the attractive pallid flesh on her stomach, was even worse. The area where her thighs met was covered with a light tickle of fine, dark blonde hair.  
He couldn't stand the way it made him ache for her. But he loved it at the same time.

Elsa approached him first while Jack was frozen in a mixture of shock, coyness and complete arousal.  
Seeing the look of vulnerability on her face, he suddenly found himself again, began to walk to her and took her gently in his arms for a warm, loving hug.  
"It's OK," he told her. "If you don't want to, we don't have to do anything tonight."  
Elsa smiled into his shoulder, calmed and moved by his words.  
But she could feel him pulsing slightly against her leg and felt more fully her own subtle throb inside.  
She _wanted _to do something tonight. Either that or it felt like it would explode out of her.  
"I want to though," she replied gently, then paused. "Do you?"  
Jack absorbed her pleasing weight against him, the softness of her skin, the sweetness of her scent. He wanted her so badly, so deeply, so desperately.  
"Yes," he whispered urgently.


	12. Chapter 12 (NSFW)

They were under the covers. Her hand was on his chest, their lips were interlocked and there was a beautiful warmth radiating off her body.  
He was incredibly aware of all these things. And incredibly aware of the supple smoothness of her skin as he let a hand glide down her slender frame and down the sweet curve or her waist.  
She moved her hand further up towards his neck and brushed willowy fingers off his cheek.  
Then her hand fell back to his chest, and went lower, and lower, and lower.  
His body tensed in apprehension as her hand slipped under the top of his trousers and closed around him.

"Urgh," the grunt broke out of his mouth before he could help it.  
Elsa seemed unsure for a moment, hesitated, and then began to stroke him.  
"Oh _shit_!" he gasped.  
"Is this OK?" Elsa asked anxiously, stopping immediately, her face suddenly tense and nervous.  
Jack looked at her and smiled reassuringly.  
"It's amazing," he told her excitedly, and then hastened to add. "But you only have to do it if you want to!"  
"I want to," Elsa said in a voice so confident and calmed that it made Jack feel comfortable in returning his attention to what was happening downstairs.  
He lay back in the bed as Elsa began to stroke him again, feeling the slow, hot surges of pleasure rush through him.

Elsa was both slightly intimidated and extremely fascinated by what she was doing.  
By caressing this big, firm organ, she seemed to be suspending Jack in ecstasy. His eyes were closed but his face twitched and grinned after every few complete movements up and down the shaft.  
It was interesting for her to be able to experience this new practice as well as...just...well..._fun_.  
She picked up speed and buffed him faster, tightening her grip ever so slightly on the hard muscle.  
That was when he sat up involuntarily, let out a groan and his member spattered out his load.

There was a moment of shock afterwards.  
They both looked down at his crotch, Elsa in intrigue and amazement, Jack in embarrassment and shame.  
"Fuck," he muttered. "Fuck, fuck, _fuck_!"  
"Hey," Elsa laughed, took his arm gently. "It's OK, I-"  
"No, it's not OK, I lasted about three minutes!" Jack cried indignantly. "I mean, I know I was turned on but I didn't expect to blow it so damn quick! Shit, this is humiliating, I-"  
But then Elsa pressed her mouth to his, silencing him. He didn't kiss back for a moment, still held back by pure mortification, but then reciprocated, relishing in the sweet taste of her mouth and running a hand up her slender back.  
"Don't worry," Elsa whispered to him as they broke apart. "I took it as a compliment."  
She winked at him and Jack smiled shyly back.  
"Thanks Elsa," he said. "I'm just sorry it was all over so quick this time."  
"Yes, _this time_," Elsa repeated. "We have the whole night Jack."  
Usually she wouldn't have been so bold, so assertive, so outright _forward_, but the burning want between her legs made her want to be touched and stroked and fondled.  
She wanted him. All over her. And now seemed to be a good time to ask for it.  
Jack's playful smirk up at her seemed to answer that question.

Each gush of pleasure hit her like a wave hitting a rocky shore.  
His fingers skimmed and tickled her desire-ridden area, while his mouth and tongue explored the velvety skin on her neck.  
She tried to stop the moans and squeaks that fought to escape her mouth but it was hard. He was so _good_ at that.  
Elsa gritted her teeth and gripped his arm firmly as he now rubbed two fingers against her clit.  
"Oh, _Jack_!" it came out in a strangled whisper that made him get stiff again and grin into her shoulder.  
He was good to go, no worries about performance now!

He removed his soaked fingers from her sweet spot, brushing his hand against the soft patch of pubic hair and making his cock shout out in longing.  
He positioned himself over her and smiled down.  
But then he stopped. Blinked.  
"Elsa, what's wrong?"  
The ice queen's face had become etched with worry, her eyes deeply troubled.  
"Jack," she told him in a vulnerable voice, and then looked up to make proper eye contact. "I'm a virgin."  
A moment passed.  
Then the guardian smiled understandingly and let a hand drift in comfort across her cheek.  
"Well then are you sure you want to do this?" he asked. "Because it's not a problem if you don't. I've had such a great time with you _already_ tonight Elsa so if you want to stop now-"  
"No, I want to go ahead if you do," Elsa cut him off, lovingly running her hands down his back and making him yearn for her more than ever. "I just thought you should know. In case I can't, you know, if I don't know how to really-"  
It was Jack's turn to silence her with a kiss, a long and caring one.  
"It makes no difference to me darling," he told her. "Now, are you ready?"  
Elsa was unsure.  
But then she looked up at him again, saw the genuine care in his eyes and was instantly comforted.  
"Yes," she said.

At first, it was tense and a little painful.  
She was tight and he was big but after a little more playing with her, Elsa became wet enough for Jack to gently let himself in.  
Once inside, she let herself relax and place her hands on his back.  
"Are you OK?" he asked her, concerned.  
She smiled and kissed his cheek.  
"I'm perfect," she said to him. "Keep going."  
He grinned (not a mischievous one but an authentic smile of relief) and bore down, pushing himself.

Elsa lay back and let herself enjoy this new sensation. It was somewhat strange, not exactly what she had expected sex to be like, but oh was it _amazing_.  
Every time Jack plunged, she felt a twinge of pleasure and delight, that soon began to grow into complete euphoria.

Meanwhile, Jack was tipping over into complete ecstasy. Feeling her around his member was incredible. He tried to hold back, not wanting to hurt her or scare her during her first time but when she began to groan for more, he dared to throw himself deeper and faster.  
Soon, they were in a flurry of movement, his pelvis bucking madly, her hips rising frantically to meet him.

Elsa came first, with an electrifying moan of pleasure that brought on Jack's own intense climax.  
After the culmination, they lay side by side for a moment, in happy and energized silence.  
"That was...awesome," Jack couldn't think of anything more descriptive, his mind had been wiped blank by the force of that gratifying cum.  
Elsa laughed and turned to face him.  
"Are you kidding me?" she cried. "That was _unbelievable_, I didn't know sex was like _that_!"  
"It's not always," Jack commented thoughtfully. "I mean, you have to be really into the person for it to be _that_ good."  
He was speaking in practical terms but Elsa still pecked him on the cheek and hugged him for the sentiment.  
"You're sweet Jack," she told him, nuzzling into his chest. "I'm glad you were my first."  
Jack smiled, wrapping his arms around Elsa and holding her close.  
"Thanks for letting me be Elsa."  
He kissed the top of her head and they tumbled to sleep together, drifting off with the type of quiet ease that only people truly contented at the moment of sleep can achieve.

It would have been completely perfect if Gulsvig hadn't been scaling the walls of the castle at that exact same time, about to break into Anna and Kristoff's room.


End file.
